56 Secret Order

Madam Lin pondered at such an unfathomable answer. So it turns out this sister of hers is a stickler for emotional ties it seems.

"Just why…" Why would you love the man who is responsible for the downfall of your clan?

Ye Yuying laughs violently, making one doubt if she was totally sane. Perhaps it was all those years of isolation that had slowly corroded her mind. "Why, you ask?" Her voice is hoarse and filled with sorrows enough to sadden an entire city. "I am his consort, his concubine, his woman is there any other choice?" Tears began to well in her eyes. "I knew that my decision would affect the fate of my family clan, yet I still pushed for it. I did not do it for status nor riches nor false promises, but by heart. I have fallen for him since I first lay eyes on him."

She was indeed a selfish woman. Madam Lin agreed, having known the disastrous outcome before it started, yet still going through with the decision. Perhaps she would redo the entire scenario again if she had a choice.

Ye Yuying looks at Madam Lin who is seemingly frozen in thought. It was uncertain if the words she is prepared to say will be heard but she says it anyway, "How many things in this world are up to us women to decide? Our fates are decided by men, and we are bound to them, it is very difficult to escape."

"Go now, I want to sleep." Ye Yuying says as she pulls the thin quilt over her body.

"En, good night." Madam Lin agrees to her words without much thought. As though she is merely a shadow made of unstable light, the candle flickers, and she is nowhere to be seen. Ye Yuying turns to the side. Her eyes are open, blinking, staring at the darkness that was before her. Behind is the candle, still flickering well after the figure of a living person disappeared.

She does not feel time as it passes aimlessly, but the first rays of dawn are not yet visible. There is a burst of wind as the windows open suddenly, giving her a fright. Feeling that this would be another sleepless night, she sits up in bed.

As she turns around, she could see a vague shadow that belongs to a human figure.

"Who… who are you?" At first, she thought it was her sister who did not leave yet and was around playing tricks on her. But looking at the figure one more time, it was not the silhouette that belonged to that of a woman.

The figure shrouded in darkness did not say anything, coming closer. She could barely see his face but could make out the silver in the hair of the mysterious person.

"No, you don't know me, but I know everything about you, Consort Ying." The man had said this with an amiable smile, but it was unknown if anyone could see it in the darkness of the cold palace.

Ye Yuying frowned at the way the man called her, no longer bothering to keep up with the act, she waved her hand dismissively, "An old title, not worthy of remembering."

"It is the first impressions that matter, don't you think?"

Ye Yuying contemplated in thought, there were too many people coming to this cold palace tonight claiming that they knew her, yet she did not remember any of them. Perhaps it was that strange thing called arrogance she had in her youth that prevented her from bothering to remember the faces of anyone who appeared before her.

"What do you want?" She asked hesitatingly. After all, this visit at night did not seem to have the best intentions.

"I'm here to give you a choice." The man said flatly. His voice did not seem to hold much excitement for life. Perhaps it was the passage of time or the experiences he held.

"Are you afraid my sister will find out?"

"Sister, you say?" The man chuckled as if to humor her, "I'm afraid she already knew the consequences of contacting people from her past while under her promise."

"What did she promise you all?" Ye Yuying had already heard about the details. She was not feeling discontent the slightest bit. Even if Ye Yulin did approach her knowing what would happen, perhaps this was her retribution for being so cruel in the past.

The man sighed and continued, "You see, she was allowed to come here under the condition that she does not contact those from the past. She already broke that twice. The first one… Perhaps you know him, perhaps you don't, but that doesn't matter, as she took care of that herself by poisoning him." He conveniently left out the part on what type of poison it was or the condition of said patient.

"What will you do to me?" Ye Yuying asked. By now her voice was apathetic, not caring for the slight bit what may happen to her after knowing such a secret.

"I'm afraid you know too much, so we can only remedy that." The man's shallow smile was not comforting, as he took out two bottles from his wide sleeves, one bottle was tied with a blue chord, while the other was tied with a yellow one. The bottles were a brown earthen type that was commonly found in medicine shops. As Ye Yuying looked on, she involuntarily gulped. She knew that through such bottles were common, the content within was most certainly not. With the bottles placed on the table, the man continued, "Apologies, we do not have a name for these drugs, we're quite bad at naming things. But, this bottle that has a blue chord is one that will render you incapable of making a sound, while the one with a yellow chord will muddy your mind." The explanations were short but to the point.

With the bottles laid out on the table, she felt as though she was shopping in the past. Back then, the most luxurious clothes and jewelry would be delivered to her palace, in the hands of palace servants, and it was there she would sit in comfort, picking out the things she desired. At this moment, deciding between which of the two bottles to take was not any different.

It did not take long before she took a bottle in her hand. Fiddling around with the chord, she asked "Is there a third choice?"

"Yes, a white ribbon." The man answered with a perfunctory smile.

Hearing his answer, she chuckled. "Before I chose, can you tell me about the emperor?" She did not refer to him as her husband, rather calling him as his citizens would.

"He will die soon, he will not last long with such a body."

Ye Yuying laughed a loud and hearty laugh, her lough hoarse that it sounded like cries of pain. However, the expression in her eyes was undeniably one of joy.

"Can you do me a favor?"